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Premiership reportedly propose season without relegation to form 13-team division

Automatic relegation could also be scrapped in favour of a play-off between the existing top-tier side and the best Championship club.

ENGLAND’S TOP TIER of rugby, the Premiership, could be expanded from 12 to 13 teams after next season.

Premiership Rugby, the Telegraph report, have lodged a proposal to the RFU’s management board to play the 2019/20 season without relegation and reinstate it after next year’s Championship winners take up the 13th place for 2020/21.

The move could benefit the likes of Worcester, Leicester or big-spending London Irish as they try to find their feet back in the Premiership. 

Newcastle were condemned to relegation this season despite an impressive run in Europe that included wins away to Toulon and at home to Montpellier.

A separate proposal for the board to consider would end automatic relegation from the Premiership from 2021/22 onwards. Instead, the proposed change would see the lowest-ranked side pitted against the Championship winners in a play-off. A fixture that, in theory, would benefit the larger budgets of the existing top tier clubs.

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    Mute Eddie Hekenui
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    May 29th 2019, 10:08 AM

    Tough blow to lose so many important players. Molony and Penny were two of the stars of the 6 Nations while Byrne and Hackshaw were key playmakers at 10 and 12 with Hacksahw being the captain. I’d fancy Allison to come into the backrow instead of Molony without too much drop off in quality as he might have started if he’d been fit for the 6 Nations. Replacing Penny is nigh on impossible but Healy and French/Moore will do a fine job coming in at 10 and 12. The issue will be the lack of depth now we’re down some big players and guys having so many big games in such a short period of time.

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    Mute Anthony
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    May 29th 2019, 10:06 AM

    Its concerning the amount of serious injuries in a young squad like that already

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    Mute Exiled Dub
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    May 29th 2019, 9:43 AM

    One “IQ” player is that a good return should there be more

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    Mute Stephen Elliott
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    May 29th 2019, 10:01 AM

    @Exiled Dub: why should there be more?

    also Iwan Hughes is a IQ rugby product who is with Ulster now.

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    May 29th 2019, 1:06 PM

    I wonder how the other home countries are getting on, say England next week ?? Do we have the worst list ???)

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    Mute Glenbower
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    May 29th 2019, 1:39 PM

    @Martin Quinn: A few injuries and also the unavailability of #10 Marcus Smith because he’s playing for England development XV vs the Barbarians ! A disappointing priority for the rest of the squad, I imagine.

    See https://www.englandrugby.com/news/england-men-u20s-squad-update/

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    Mute Glenbower
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    May 29th 2019, 1:46 PM

    @Martin Quinn: No mention of Australian injuries here:

    https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2019/05/07/world-u20-championships-junior-wallabies-squad

    They beat NZ 24-0 in a final recently !

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    Mute Glenbower
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    May 29th 2019, 1:57 PM

    @Martin Quinn: Italy had to omit 3 injured players who were “more or less important”. See:

    https://www.federugby.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=112&Itemid=427

    So my guess is that our missing 5, 6, 7, 10 and 12 represent the greatest omissions in our group.

    Ah well, cometh the hour, cometh the man …

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    Mute Eddie Hekenui
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    May 29th 2019, 2:21 PM

    @Martin Quinn: https://u20rugby.wordpress.com if you’re interested keep an eye on this

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    May 29th 2019, 4:53 PM

    @Glenbower:

    Thanks for that :: Glen

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    May 29th 2019, 4:55 PM

    @Eddie Hekenui:

    Thanks for that :: EDDIE

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